Explore the research landscape of apps built on the growing popularity of FHIR standards

The study, led by Titus K. Schleyer (DMD, Ph.D.), a research scientist at the Regenstrief Institute, was one of the first researchers to examine the current state of the FHIR app, and is developing innovative standards. We provide a snapshot of how it can be used to enable the flow of health information. The FHIR app can pull in data from most electronic health record systems, so you can safely move information where and when you need it.

Pronounced “fire,” FHIR stands for Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources and standardizes the way medical information is exchanged between different computer systems, regardless of how it’s stored in those systems. FHIR apps consume information through FHIR interfaces. Global interoperability standards can be used to exchange health data between doctors and patients and between clinicians and healthcare systems.

“FHIR may seem like a fuzzy technical concept, but it is applied and used routinely by patients, clinicians, and healthcare systems. It will make health information more accessible to younger generations,” said Dr. Schleyer. “In fact, the core asset of many FHIR apps is to extract information from electronic health records to identify trends, provide clinical decision support, and serve niche areas not covered by commercial electronic health records. It’s about doing something useful, such as processing the system.”

Co-author of the study, Charles Jaffe, M.D., Ph.D., said, “This broadly collaborative publication represents an important step that underscores the significant global effort towards the implementation of HL7 FHIR.” As the adoption of FHIR for research becomes more common, we see this platform as an important resource for our growing community of end-users and technology implementers.” Dr. Jaffe, HL7 International I am the manager.

Research published in jamia opennotes the rapid development and adoption of free and easy-to-use FHIR apps in less than a decade, and predicts accelerated development and use of these apps in the future.

112 were investigated to assess the overall picture of FHIR apps. A total of 74 focused on clinical care and 45 focused on research. Most were standalone, web-based, and a few were embedded in electronic medical records. Most of the clinical apps have been implemented in multiple healthcare settings, highlighting the easily replaceable nature of FHIR, according to the authors. Most apps were developed by software vendors and aimed at medical professionals rather than patients.

“When we talk about FHIR, we’re talking about innovative ways to securely share health information from different information systems,” says Dr. Schleyer. “FHIR can be thought of as a ‘plug and play’ standard, much like the electrical plugs used in the home. When you plug a device into an electrical outlet, it draws electricity, and TVs and other devices start working without you having to do anything. Don’t worry about what the plug does. Same as FHIR. Access system-wide information using this revolutionary standard. ”

In the US, the FHIR app for patients is a requirement for electronic health record certification under the 21st Century Cures Act. In 2023, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will begin requiring payers to implement his FHIR app for a variety of use cases. The European Union’s InteropEHRate and India’s Digital Health Blueprint focus on implementing FHIR-based personal health records and sharing data with providers. New Zealand’s Department of Health and the UK’s National Health Service use FHIR to provide access to the national patient identifier system.